Men want to be them. Ladies want to be with them. No – I’m not referring to superheroes. Frankly, I’ve come-up with a more interesting, cinematic showdown. Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Hardy are two of the most popular and “hottest” actors working today. Hardy is fresh-off an Oscar nomination for his gritty performance in “The Revenant”, and Gyllenhaal stars in the new drama “Demolition” (from “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Wild” director Jean-Marc Vallee), which opens in more than 500 theaters on April 8. So, the question is, between these two, who’s had more of an impact on the industry and audiences?
AGE
Gyllenhaal – 35
Hardy – 38
AWARDS
Gyllenhaal – Oscar Nomination (2005, “Brokeback Mountain”), Golden Globes Nominations (2014, “Nightcrawler”, 2010, “Love & Other Drugs”)
Hardy – Oscar Nomination (2015, “The Revenant”), BAFTA Win (2010, Rising Star Award)
BLOCKBUSTERS
Gyllenhaal – “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004, $186 million – only $100M+ domestic total of his career)
Hardy – “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012, $448M), “Inception” (2010, $292M), “The Revenant” (2015, $180M+), “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015, $153M)
OTHER CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED PERFORMANCES
Gyllenhaal – “October Sky” (1999), “Donnie Darko” (2001), “Zodiac” (2007), “Brothers” (2009), “Source Code” (2011), “End of Watch” (2012), “Prisoners” (2013), “Southpaw” (2015)
Hardy – “Warrior” (2011), “Locke” (2014), “The Drop” (2014)
DOUBLE DUTY (PLAYING TWO CHARACTERS)
Gyllenhaal – “Enemy” (2014)
Hardy – “Legend” (2015)
For me, it’s a close call, but I’ve got to give the slight edge to Gyllenhaal. As incredible as Hardy was in “Locke” (one of the most under-appreciated performances, and films, of the past decade), Gyllenhaal’s powerhouse, legitimate, dramatic work over the past few years, and his rise to the A-list status (in a “comeback”-esque way), have been stellar.
It’s needless to say that both actors have proven their star-power and leading man status at the box office, with critics and their fans. And one thing is for sure, if Gyllenhaal and Hardy starred in a movie together, it likely wouldn’t disappoint.
Who do YOU think edges-out the other and why? Let Me Know on Facebook and Twitter (@LCJReviews).